For starters, everyone who has armor solutions and methods or suggestions, post them here so we can have some sort or reference that people can go back to since it seems to be a popular topic that ends up getting re-answered from time to time.
Then people with specific questions can ask them here.

For my money, plate metal armor is best made with, well, metal. Sheet aluminum is expensive, but looks a lot better then foil or paint. Taking a Dremel and etching out the embossed cross would make it look almost perfect, though expensive and very time-consuming. Resin-casting the entire plate might work if you're looking to save money, but it'd take about the same amount of time, assuming you'd paint or etch in the embossing. If you did it this way, the best way of getting the color right is using some of the good crome or silver paint (the stuff with actual metal in the paint) and then spraying on 4 or 5 coats of high-gloss clear varnish.

Either way, I'd do the little pieces on his jacket the same way I did the breastplate, with just some store-bought chain running between them.

For relatively small pieces of highly curved armor, like Naga's, I'd make a modeling clay copy, create a mold from that, and then resin cast it like that. Maybe use florist's foam inside the spikes to save a little weight. Then just sand, toss on about 3 coats of primer, and paint.

I'd suggest aluminum flashing and rivets. You can buy the flashing for about $10 a roll at Home Depot, the rivet gun's about $14 and the rivets and washers'll set you back about another $5. Just make sure you bend over all the edges, or you're going to get really cut up. I used it for my Edward Elric arm for otakon, and while I had to use fiberglass resin on the shoulder and a piece of plastic pipe for the elbow joint, it came out very good. Here, check it out if you want.
Picture

Well Sesshoumaru's armor is certainly complicated. I need to make that and I'm despreate to find blue prints for it and a how to on just making his armor. Some ideas on making that fluffy thing would help.

One of my favorite ways to make armor is to make a base out of plastic canvas, cover it with felt, pin on the felt, and dump a mixture of boiling water/glue/and flour paste over it. It works very well and is tres sturdy.

All you do is get (depending on the amount of armor you need to make) roughly ten billion sheets of fun foam. I used brown for bronze armor, gray for silver armor, and a darkish yellow for gold. Just cut it into the shape you want, and then make little versions of the big shape you just did. Glue those on like you would shingles, one a little underneath the other. After that, get some puffy paint and make a line around the edges so it looks like a weld (its really cool looking at the end!!)

Once done with that, go outside and spray paint these bitches with either bronze, chrome/silver or gold paint. Do both sides, since it looks really crappy to have this awesome looking outside and then a fun foam inside (not very threatening!!!) so do that. Then after it dries, you can put on elastic or ties so you can wear it, and enjoy. Looks v. chic. If you need an example, go to my page here and my Samurai Yuna is COVERED in this bronze foam armor. Check it out.

All you do is get (depending on the amount of armor you need to make) roughly ten billion sheets of fun foam. I used brown for bronze armor, gray for silver armor, and a darkish yellow for gold. Just cut it into the shape you want, and then make little versions of the big shape you just did. Glue those on like you would shingles, one a little underneath the other. After that, get some puffy paint and make a line around the edges so it looks like a weld (its really cool looking at the end!!)

Once done with that, go outside and spray paint these bitches with either bronze, chrome/silver or gold paint. Do both sides, since it looks really crappy to have this awesome looking outside and then a fun foam inside (not very threatening!!!) so do that. Then after it dries, you can put on elastic or ties so you can wear it, and enjoy. Looks v. chic. If you need an example, go to my page here and my Samurai Yuna is COVERED in this bronze foam armor. Check it out.

This is craft foam right? Because I need to make shoulder armour, and yeah I am cluless. Will it bend easily though? I heard it does but doesn't look that crappy. Oh, and...what is puffy paint? >_<**Is such an ametuar** lol thanks.

Ok, my advice to Everyone who's making armor is to remember 2 things...

1) keep it as Light as possible. This usually means using foam, cardboard, plastic, Fiberglass, and sometimes even Paper machette(sp) and Paperclay. From personal experience, I can say that you do NOT want to be lugging around alot of metal or wood.

2) Keep it as well ventilated as possible. You'll be waring this around a hot con for atleast a day(if not 3) You don't want to smell like you've been at a con though. Most armor isn't very breathable, so at best, minimize skin contact, and leave a breath hole or two.

My personal reccomendation for any little baubles right now is to construct as much of it out of Craft foam and paperclay as possible. then give it a light brushing of fiberglass resin for rigidity (Don't include Fiberglass cloth or mesh unless your experineced) It's going to cut down on the weight alot... and if AT ALL possible put some cloth between it and you.

I need to make Vincent's armor claw & boot covers from Advent Chidren. If any one has any ideas of DURABLE materials to use, please tell me.
I don't mind making it out of metal, but I'd like to know how, can anyone help?(send me a reply by mail )

Fiberweave and fiberglass resin are found at lowes and home depot near paint in the adhesives section. There used for patching bathtubs.
Heres how you use them. Take the weave (its like a pabric only its woven fiberglass) cut it into small squares. Pour some resin in a pan and squirt a decent amount of hardener (dont be stingy or itll take forever to harden.)

WEAR GLOVES FOR THIS PART.
Brush resin on ech strip and cover the ball with them. When its covered and hardens youll have a fiberglass ball with bit of a cloth looking pattern all over it.
Next take the vinyl spackle (better than regular spackle!) and spread it all over the ball as smoothly as possible. This is to help get rid of any texture from the cloth and to smooth out any lumps. Plus this stuffs cheap!
Sand it smooth.
Take some large bolts and slide the springs around them then hot glue these all around the ball.
Chrome paint it with chrome spray paint $1.69 a can at walmart.

TA DA! You now have a FUNCTIONAL piece of armor. Simply use a drill bit on a dremel to saw off excess ball shape till itll work as shoulder armor and hot glue it to your costume (or to a harness).

NOTE: if this is too much to try to deal with just get some plaster of paris strips at a craft store and cover the ball with it. It wont be real armor but itll look right

I think Sculpy (yah, however it's spelled!) would be too heavy and brittle, not to mention expensive. Wonderflex, paperclay, papier-mache, plastic food containers or kids' toys that have the basic shape you need....any of these would be better choices.

Chain mail is expensive because of how it's made. Someone has to link together individual rings of metal to create the item so even if it's a small piece, it still had to begin as just a pile of separate little metal rings that have to be linked together one by one.

Some possible alternatives might include fashioning your own shirt with a fireplace mesh or the stuff used in range hood filters. Here are 2 examples:

I don't vouch for either of those sites, but they just have the pictures of what I'm talking about. Neither of those materials will drape as well as actual chain mail, but they might be ok substitutes for costume purposes.

Not sure which "annoying fabric" you're referring to, but maybe a metallic fishnet would give a decent effect. Like this only in black or gray: novelty net/mesh fabric.

Hi, I was wondering if anyone had any ideas on what materials I need to make FFAC Vincents claw and he cheapest and most easy to work with? Please and thanks!!

_________________I will live with my sorrow.
I will live in my own life.
I will defeat sorrow in this place.
I don't know when it will be,
but someday I will conquer it
and I will do it without
FALSE HOPE

One of my favorite ways to make armor is to make a base out of plastic canvas, cover it with felt, pin on the felt, and dump a mixture of boiling water/glue/and flour paste over it. It works very well and is tres sturdy.

what's the glue/flour/water mixture for? is it to create a smooth, paint-able surface?

Fiberweave and fiberglass resin are found at lowes and home depot near paint in the adhesives section. There used for patching bathtubs.Heres how you use them. Take the weave (its like a pabric only its woven fiberglass) cut it into small squares. Pour some resin in a pan and squirt a decent amount of hardener (dont be stingy or itll take forever to harden.)

WEAR GLOVES FOR THIS PART.Brush resin on ech strip and cover the ball with them. When its covered and hardens youll have a fiberglass ball with bit of a cloth looking pattern all over it.Next take the vinyl spackle (better than regular spackle!) and spread it all over the ball as smoothly as possible. This is to help get rid of any texture from the cloth and to smooth out any lumps. Plus this stuffs cheap!Sand it smooth.Take some large bolts and slide the springs around them then hot glue these all around the ball.Chrome paint it with chrome spray paint $1.69 a can at walmart.

TA DA! You now have a FUNCTIONAL piece of armor. Simply use a drill bit on a dremel to saw off excess ball shape till itll work as shoulder armor and hot glue it to your costume (or to a harness).

NOTE: if this is too much to try to deal with just get some plaster of paris strips at a craft store and cover the ball with it. It wont be real armor but itll look right

Geez...you mean the really really big one that has the screws coming out of it?

I'm trying to figure out how to make the leg pieces for Protoman. Here's a reference pic:

I'm going to have to make two pieces: one to cover my foot and one to go up to slightly above my knee. I figure if I bolt the two of them together (looking rather robotic, too) it should connect them at the heels. Then just indent it a little more near where my foot would need to bend upwards.

But the real question is... what material do I use? Wonderflex seems like it'd be the best choice (based on my limited knowledge of crafts...), but it also seems rather expensive. Any ideas? : /

alright...fake chainmail. I know it can be done with PVC or even rubber links instead of metal. I am currently jumping back and forth between these two options but i thought i would ask if anyone has any experience with either of these two methods - whom would be able to recommend one over the other (for ease of creation and appearance)

hello, im new to the world of cosplaying, i've neevr been to an expo and my friend invited me to go to Fanime with her this year, problem is i want somethign that'll be memorable...i was thinking somethign alojng the lines of this :http://www.genjitsu.net/tokyo2k9/cosplay0012.jpgif anyoen knows of a site, or materials please help a newbie outmy limit is 600 american

So I only have 3 weeks left until the Sakura-con in Seattle. I've chosen Ashe from FFXII as my costume, but now I'm totally lost. I can't go back now because I've already completed a portion of her costume and ordered pieces for the rest.

What I need help with is just figuring out a dang pattern for her leg/knee pieces. All I have to work with is Craft Foam and Wonderflex. I can grunt my way through the others pieces (and in fact, have most of it done), but the legs are giving me all kinds of trouble!

Any suggestions for how I should sketch out this pattern? I've measured my legs and tried to fold paper around them as a starting ref, but I'm still very confused! My leg measurement around the highest point for the thigh piece should be 13 inches and the lowest part (towards my knee) is 11 inches. I couldn't thank you enough if you lent me hand!Please help :O

Hi, i was wandering if anyone could tell me exactly what FRP stands for and why is it so expensive? And also if anyone could tell me where i can get my custom Keyblade night costume made for like under 300$. I came up with it after playing Birth By Sleep and i would really like to get it made. Thanx

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